So hey, I haven't written anything for this side of the Internet in like four years.
Well, after revisiting SA2: Battle and catching wind of the HD release coming in October, I was inspired to rewrite an old fanfic of mine.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, they are owned by SEGA/SONIC TEAM. I am merely a fan writing this story for fun.
Enjoy.
Ten Thousand and Eighty Minutes
"Birth"
The sun had not yet risen over Earth when lights of the twisting hallways and research labs aboard the Space Colony ARK dimmed, signaling that another day of hard work had ended. Yawning scientists stumbled out of opened doors in great throngs of white and grey, wobbling sleepily on their feet as they moved to their dorms. The long corridors were filled with their low mumblings, each congratulating one another on the success of completing yet another phase of their latest project.
"Won't be long now..." they murmured amongst themselves, regarding each other with groggy but happy smiles.
Just as the final few filed into their rooms, a young blonde haired girl pushed her way through, her sky blue nightgown standing out from the dull colors of the lab coats. Her blue eyes scanned the last of the crowd for a familiar face, a light frown creasing her lips in disappointment and worry.
Just where could he be? she thought to herself, stopping to rest against a wall, I must've walked the entire colony by now!
Blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes, she watched as the hall emptied, the sounds of the scientists' voices fading out as multiple doors slid shut with a chorus of hisses and clicks. The lights above dimmed down to a lower setting, prompting the girl to resume her walk down the corridor.
As she traveled, the steel grey of the walls eventually gave way to a thick sheet of glass and the hallway was bathed in a soft bluish glow. She paused a moment to look out of one of the great windows, gazing upon the stars and the beautiful blue planet their colony orbited.
"Earth..." the name rolled pleasantly off her tongue, a smile replacing her frown , "I wonder what it's like down there..."
Sighing longingly, she shook her head and continued on.
Her daydreaming could wait, she had more important matters to take care of first.
Despite its fancy name and bold location, the Project S.H.A.D.O.W research lab was not all that extravagant. Carefully hidden away at the heart of the colony, only the top scientists chosen to work on the project were granted entrance to the main lab which, compared to the other numerous labs aboard the ARK, was a lot smaller and more heavily guarded.
It was after what seemed like another hour's worth of walking that the girl found herself standing before the very door to the lab, staring up at the project's insignia that was branded upon the metal.
There's no doubt about it, she thought, he has to be in there.
Disregarding the complicated keypad stationed on the door frame, she raised her fist and knocked three times. Two cameras on either side of the door swiveled to lock onto her and she waved sheepishly at them, hoping that whoever was observing the security feed would recognize her and let her in.
Her hopes were realized, for the door emitted a series of beeps and it slid open with a hiss. Smiling, she entered the lab, the door sliding shut and locking immediately as soon as she crossed the threshold.
She was greeted by a cold breeze and she shivered; the scientists usually kept this room a few degrees colder than the rest of the colony to prevent the specialized equipment from overheating. It was much darker as well, the only light-source present was from the glow of busy computer monitors and a large stasis tube at the back of the room. There were three in all, but the one in the center appeared to be occupied, a dark shape silhouetted against the blue glow. The room was filled with the ever present hum of working machinery, the sound of rhythmic beeping adding to the cold atmosphere.
Sitting at a desk before the row of stasis tubes sat the one person the girl had been looking for, her grandfather and the lead scientist of Project S.H.A.D.O.W, Professor Gerald Robotnik. His back was currently turned to her as he carefully watched the readouts from a group of monitors, scribbling away at a piece of paper.
The girl put her hands on her hips.
"I've been wondering where you were," she scolded, causing the other to jump and look over his shoulder.
"Ah, it's just you Maria. Please don't do that again, you scared me."
Maria smiled and walked up to the desk.
"Sorry, grandfather. I was just worried, I hadn't seen you in a while."
Gerald peeked up at her over the rim of his spectacles, a glimmer of amusement twinkling in his small dark eyes.
"Were you, now?" he chuckled, "Well, you shouldn't really worry about me, Maria."
"I can't help it," she replied, peering at the monitors stationed on his desk, "So, has there been any progress lately?"
At this, a big grin spread across her grandfather's face and he leaned back in his chair, stroking his graying mustache.
"Take a look for yourself," he gestured to the glowing tube in front of him, "just be careful of all the wires back there."
Maria made her way around the desk, cautiously stepping over the wires that lay across the floor. The stasis tube was almost as tall as the room and wide enough to fit a full grown man inside, the base of it covered with blinking panels, lights, and a large red switch at it's center. Looking inside the tube itself, Maria could barely make out a small blurred shape floating in the bubbling, light blue liquid.
"I can't really tell what animal it is..." she murmured with a frown, cupping her hands over a section of the glass as she squinted through.
Gerald chuckled softly.
"'He', Maria," he corrected, " this one's a 'he' and just look closer, you'll see."
Peering closer, the blurred shape seemed to focus and clear before her eyes. Maria could see red striped quills, swaying black and white fur, a tan muzzle, and tightly closed eyes. The unknown animal appeared to be curled in on himself, multiple wires were connected to various spots on his body and ran to the top of the tube; a clear mask fitted over most of his muzzle to supply oxygen.
She shook her head.
"Nope, I still can't tell."
"He's a hedgehog," he answered, "and unlike all the others we've had, this one's very much alive."
Maria smiled, there was no mistaking the relief and pride in Gerald's voice. There had been little to no success for far too long and after the tragic outcome of the first living prototype, she feared that it would dampen everyone's spirits to the point where they would give up the project entirely.
But this was a welcomed change and it made her even more happy to see her grandfather in a better mood than he had been in weeks.
She turned to see Gerald standing beside her and she threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.
"Oh grandfather, I knew you could do it!" she bubbled as he returned the hug.
Breaking from the hug, she turned to look upon the sleeping hedgehog again, pressing a hand to the glass.
"When will you release him?"
Gerald returned to the desk and sat down in front of the monitors again, squinting at their screens.
"Well, if his vitals," here he tapped one of the monitors, "continue to stay stable, then we'll be releasing him very soon."
Maria crossed over to the desk to join him, also taking a moment to examine the active screens. Lines of green moved in different patterns across the dark background, each labeled with either a symbol or a series of initials.
"How soon is that?" she questioned.
Gerald smiled again.
"By the Earth's next sunrise," he answered, "now if you excuse me, my dear, I have a few last minute adjustments to make. I'll see you later."
The door opened behind her at the touch of a button and Maria nodded, turning to leave. She paused to look back at the project in the tube and her grandfather typing feverishly at a keyboard.
She smiled and left without saying another word.
By the Earth's next sunrise? Shouldn't be too far from now...
Maria, not wanting to be too far from the lab when the time came to release the project, stood by a set of windows just a few halls over; staring out at the stars and watching the shadowed Earth spin slowly in place.
Sighing, she leaned against the wall, staring blankly ahead as her mind wandered. She daydreamed about what it felt like to stand barefoot on the sands and grasses of Earth, of what a warm natural breeze felt like, to see the colors of a sunset... of a dark furred creature standing beside her, sharing in the wonders of Earth...
Maria...
Her head snapped up, who had just called her name? There was no one to be seen, the darkened hallway was empty save for herself.
Well, that was weird...
Looking back out the window, she became aware of a tiny speck of light beginning to grow at the edge of the blue planet. Looking closer, Maria gasped in realization and awe as the sun began to peek over the lip of the Earth, casting a bright glow across it's seas and continents.
Earth's next sunrise! I've got to get to grandfather's lab!
Wasting no time, Maria turned away from the window and ran down the hall, hoping that she wasn't too late.
Arriving at the lab breathless, Maria was surprised to find the door opened wide, her grandfather standing before it with a big grin upon his face.
"You're just in time, Maria," he said, excitedly waving her over, "come on in!"
Sharing his enthusiasm, Maria smiled and joined him in walking into the lab, the door slamming shut and locking behind them. Two other scientists were present in the room now, one was sitting at the desk typing away while the other stood beside the tube, checking the machinery around it.
"Are we ready?" Gerald asked the men with a sudden air of authority.
Both scientists gave a thumbs up.
"Ready when you are, Professor." the one at the tube replied.
"Everything is set and ready to go, sir." the other chimed in.
Gerald turned to Maria, placing his hands upon her shoulders.
"And how about you? Are you ready for this, Maria?"
She smiled brightly and nodded.
"I'm ready, grandfather."
He gave her shoulders a light squeeze.
"I'm glad."
Gerald straightened himself and walked over to the tube, placing a hand on the glass for a moment as he regarded the sleeping hedgehog with a look of pride. He then turned to look at his colleagues and granddaughter, cleared his throat, and began to speak:
"When the President of the United Federation approached me with the idea for Project S.H.A.D.O.W, the very thought of coming this far seemed to be nothing but a dream."
He traced his hand down the glass and rested it upon the switch, gripping the handle tightly.
"But now, after multiple failures, we have finally done it. I give you, the Ultimate Lifeform!"
Gerald brought the switch down.
The lab suddenly came alive, the soft hum of machinery overtaken by the blaring of alarms and the sound of the stasis tube draining. As the liquid went down, the wires slacked and lowered the hedgehog to the bottom, the oxygen mask retracting from his face. There was a loud gurgle as the last of the water drained away and the stasis tube hissed, the glass covering lifted up into the ceiling in a veil of mist. The hum of machines returned as the alarms silenced.
As if on cue, the other two scientists stepped forward to join Gerald, one handing him a thick towel as they moved to check over their creation. Maria, unable to see past the tall bodies in front of her, stood on the chair behind the desk and craned her neck, watching as they carefully removed the wires from the hedgehog's body. The poor creature had remained motionless during the entire procedure and Maria feared the worst.
"Is he alright?" she asked.
Gerald laughed.
"Of course, my dear," he called, "he's just sleeping still, see?"
He turned away from the tube and walked over to her, cradling a bundle of white and black; the slumbering hedgehog tucked within the folds of the towel. Maria got down from her perch as her grandfather crouched beside her, lowering his arms so she could see.
"Maria, I'd like you to meet Shadow."
Maria bit her lip in worry; when he was in the stasis tube, the glass and water combined had made Shadow look bigger. But now, compared to herself and her grandfather, he looked so small and fragile. With his eyes still tightly closed, Shadow had the side of his face buried against Gerald's lab coat; curling closer to the professor for warmth, his ears pressed flat against his head.
Was this shivering ball of wet fur really the Ultimate Lifeform her grandfather had worked so hard to create?
"He's so small," she whispered.
"Yes, but don't worry," he assured, "he'll grow up quite fast."
"Uh, sir?" one of the other scientists finally spoke up, "Maybe it's best that we wake him so we can finish our examination?"
Gerald huffed in irritation.
"You just can't wait to poke and prod him, eh? Just wait a second, I'd like Maria to be the first person he sees."
He lightly bounced the bundle in his arms, attempting to jostle him awake. He only succeeded in making Shadow bury deeper into the towel, an unhappy sound of disapproval rising from his throat.
Maria giggled.
"I think he wants to sleep longer."
"Well, he can't," Gerald mumbled, "Come now, Shadow. There's someone I want you to see."
He pulled the folds away, exposing the hedgehog. Shadow trembled and sneezed before finally picking his head up, his eyes slowly opening for the first time. Two unfocused red orbs peered up at Maria and she smiled at him.
"Hi, Shadow," she greeted softly, "I'm Maria."
Shadow squinted at her and then hid his face against Gerald again, his quills bristling.
"He's a bit shy." Gerald whispered, brushing his fingers over the folded ears.
After a few moments of gentle coaxing from Gerald, Shadow relaxed and the sharp spikes laid flat. Cautiously, he peeked over his shoulder before turning fully to look up at Maria again, pricking his ears forward. He blinked owlishly at her, tilting his head like a confused puppy.
"Hi," Maria greeted again.
Shadow seemed to study her and, as if in response to her greeting, he emitted a light purring sound, his eyes half-lidded in content.
Gerald smiled as Maria giggled again.
"Yes, I have a feeling that you two are going to be good friends."
First, I'm so sorry if that seemed to be too long. I just really wanted to set the stage for this. I promise things will get a lot more interesting as this goes along!
I'd like to warn you that my college courses will sometimes keep me from updating, so I apologize in advance for any long periods of nothingness!
Also, if anyone can guess the meaning of the title, you'll win a virtual cookie! (or maybe I'll just draw you something, I've been going through a rough patch of artblock lately).
Review if you'd like and in the mean time, I'll be drafting the next chapter! :)
Be seeing you!
-Paige